They are usually made of solid glass, about the thickness and slightly longer than a drinking straw,[clarification needed] with rounded ends.Stir rods are generally made of borosilicate (commonly known as Pyrex) glass or polypropylene plastic.Using a stir rod also grants more control over the rate of flow, which is important in cases where chemicals may react violently.[4] Glass rods can also be used to induce crystallization in a recrystallization procedure, when they are used to scratch the inside surface of a test tube or beaker.In this instance, rubbing a glass rod with silk transfers negative charge from it.